the-history-of-the-opera-at-the-arena-of-verona

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GIOVANNI ZENATELLO

Once upon a time, there was the Arena, built by the Romans as a place for events, shows, sharing, and combat. Then it was certainly not abandoned, but not a cultural protagonist of the city.

There is a man, the tenor Giovanni Zenatello, who with his enterprise, tenacity, desire to emerge, and a truly extraordinary vision, was able to gift his beloved Verona an invaluable treasure to manage and enhance.

Opera was born in the Arena in 1913, when Zenatello conceived, wanted, and financed the first opera performance inside the monument. Since then, Opera has delighted the seasons of this city, starting with that epic Aida by Giuseppe Verdi, still performed today in front of an increasingly curious and international audience.

THE FIRST OPERA

The first performance on August 10, 1913, was promoted, as we have seen, by the Veronese tenor Giovanni Zenatello, who took on the financial risk, and by the theater impresario Ottone Rovato, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Giuseppe Verdi. An idea born from the discussions of Rovato, Zenatello, Cusinati and Fagiuoli, which saw various great singers and artists on stage.

The amphitheater was completely full: among the audience were Americans, Argentinians, Russians, and many Germans. Important figures such as Giacomo Puccini, Arrigo Boito, Pietro Mascagni, and Franz Kafka attended the premiere.

THE ARTISTS AND THE SCENOGRAPHY

In that first great event, the conductor was Tullio Serafin, Aida was Ester Mazzoleni, Amneris was Maria Gay, Radames was Giovanni Zenatello, Ramfis Mansueto Gaudio and Amonasro Giuseppe Danise.

The premiere was an important event as it marked the birth of a new scenographic style introduced by the architect Ettore Fagiuoli: the typical painted scenes of traditional theaters were abandoned, adopting instead new three-dimensional elements. This novelty was well received by the audience and indeed favored its success. The invention is still used today for almost all the operas performed in the amphitheater.

THE STORY UNTIL TODAY

From the following year, various private individuals managed the Arena seasons, including Zenatello again, the Lyrica Italica Ars society (1919-1920), the music publisher Sonzogno of Milan (1921-1922), and the impresario Gino Bertolaso (1923-1926).

A change in the scenic arrangements occurred with the management of the Ente Fiera di Verona in 1930 and 1931, while in 1934 the Ente Comunale degli Spettacoli was born, organizing the summer festival of that year.

In 1936, the Ente Autonomo Spettacoli Lirici Arena di Verona (Ente Lirico Arena di Verona) was created, which has since managed the performances. The Ente is managed by a superintendent, to whom an artistic director was added in 1967.

The festival was absent during the two world wars for ten years, and then was replaced by concerts during the Covid years